Deporting Our Values

During the State of the Union address, an empty seat was held by Congressman Tim Ryan for Amer Adi. Amer is a husband to an American wife and a father to four American daughters (see them all here), a taxpayer and a business owner who lived in the US for 40 years, and who gave hundreds of turkeys to poor people over Thanksgiving. He was deported to Jordan this week, because authorities accused him of once having a sham marriage to obtain US residency, though the claim is being disputed by none other than the ex-wife herself, who insists their marriage was real. Congressman Ryan believed that a fair hearing for Adi would make a solid case for him to stay, but Ryan’s pleas were ignored, and Adi has now been separated from his family. Also, did you hear about the veteran with PTSD who served two tours in Afghanistan, and who is about to be deported over a drug conviction? He’s on hunger-strike now, saying he’d rather die on American soil than face uncertainty abroad. If these stories are as disturbing to you as they are to us, imagine how much more disturbing it is to hear that ICE director Thomas Homan reportedly said that while he didn’t want the job at the beginning, he’s “enjoying it” as it currently unfolds.